Collection of Drabbles
by itabitaboo
Summary: This is a collection of drabbles I've written on my roleplay blog. Some of them will involve OCs and some will be totally canon while others will be totally not. It's just a big ol' pot luck of whatever I was prompted to write about. Ratings range from K to M, so read the rating at the top of each drabble. Characters listed will be the characters involved in the latest update.
1. I Have The Power

******A/N:** This going to be the start of a collection of drabbles I've written on my roleplay blog (kyuuzuchiha DOT tumblr DOT com). I roleplay as Naruto and Sasuke (also Nezumi from No.6 on another blog too). I figured I would start sharing my drabbles on here, since I cherish a lot of them. Know that the characters listed when browsing will be only the characters involved in the latest update. So, for now, it's Naruto and Kyuubi. But for the next update, it will change.

* * *

**Title:** I Have The Power  
**Word Count:** 1472  
**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki, Kyuubi/Kurama, Jiraiya, Tsunade Senju  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day**  
**

**Summary:** Ever since his parents died when he was just baby, Naruto has lived with his Pop (Jiraiya) and Baa-chan (Tsunade). He could never understand why he was outcasted as a child, so he repeatedly did all he could do to connect to the other children. That involved upgrading his stuffed fox into an imaginary friend, thinking that it might be the toy that made the other kids dislike him. That was when Kyuubi turned from harmless friend to a separate identity. Now, Kyuubi is this presence that lives in the back of Naruto's head. He can manifest himself physically, make Naruto hallucinate, and even take over Naruto's body if he has the chance. After a multi-month boat trip with his godfather, Naruto learned how to best control Kyuubi so that he could lead a normal life. It's not a question of what Kyuubi will do any longer, but whether or not Naruto has the strength to withstand the tormenting entity.

* * *

Naruto laughed uncontrollably as Jiraiya tickled mercilessly him. He kicked his legs in a wild attempt at escape, but to no avail. His godfather was sitting on them to pin the boy down. He tried to still the tickling hands with brute force before simply trying to shove the man off of him, but he was laughing and squirming far too much to make any headway at all.

"B-Baa-chan!" he squealed between giggles. "H-H-Help!"

Tsunade looked up from the papers she had been reviewing—official complaints and statement from various parents that were, essentially, the cause of Naruto being kicked out of school—and smiled. This is what those parents referred to as a monster? Did they even know of who they spoke? Because Naruto was such a kind, loving, and gentle child. This boy laughing wildly on her living room floor was anything but a monster. It was what sat within Naruto that they spoke of. Yet, that was far too complicated a thing to explain to anyone who was not within their tiny circle. Too quickly was Naruto labeled with words synonymous of crazy and insane, or worse even.

"B-BAA-CHAN!" Naruto hollered desperately, snapping Tsunade back to the present. She opened her grinning mouth to answer, but Naruto cut her off before she could begin. "STOP!" he screamed suddenly, his voice taking on an extremely urgent tone.

Jiraiya immediately pulled his hands away. "Did I hurt you?!" he asked quickly, worry and fear clearly etched into his expression.

Naruto looked up at Jiraiya, looking slightly dazed, with big, innocent eyes and shook his head slowly. "No... I—" He cut off and furrowed his brows. "Stop," he repeated sternly. His vision cleared as he looked back up at Jiraiya, who had moved off his legs to sit beside him instead.

The man scrutinized Naruto carefully for a moment. "Kyuubi?" he asked. Naruto nodded. "Remember what I taught you." Naruto nodded again, and Jiraiya nodded back. They all waited, then, in silence.

A few moments later, Naruto's eyes began to well with tears and his lip began to tremble. Jiraiya put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed firmly, but Naruto was completely unaware of his presence.

"Stop," the boy muttered weakly, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya snapped, causing the child to startle and look at him. "Stop crying," he demanded. "Toughen up. Now."

Everything about the usually relaxed man was suddenly regal—his words were harsh, his tone unforgiving, his eyes sharp and intolerant—and it was all too coarse for Naruto to handle in this state of vulnerability that Kyuubi had suddenly reduced him to. The man inside Naruto always knew what buttons to push to weaken and hurt him the most. Naruto tried with all his might, but he couldn't stop himself from crying.

"I'm s-s-sor-ry," he choked out, curling into himself and beginning to sob.

"He's just a _boy_!" Tsunade hissed sharply in Jiraiya's ear as she pushed past him to cradle Naruto in her arms, not hesitating to smack Jiraiya on the back of the head in passing.

She had never been motherly type. But when Naruto was thrust upon her after his parents' deaths, she had learned that this type of love came naturally. It was impossible not to fall in love with a child and want to care for them. It was natural. Just as it was natural for her to comfort when he was so distraught.

"He has to learn to control him," Jiraiya defended. "He can't just—"

"He's nine!" Tsunade snapped. "He'll learn, Jiraiya. Give it time!"

"It's already been a year!" Jiraiya argued.

He was silenced, though, with another venomous glare from Tsunade that promised pain if he didn't shut up. He held back a scowl and looked away. He preferred not to fight with Tsunade if he could help it, even though Tsunade really was way too gentle with Naruto in times like these. It wasn't as if Jiraiya _enjoyed_ being so rough with Naruto, but he _had_ to learn to control Kyuubi. And Naruto couldn't control Kyuubi without a backbone.

For a long while, Naruto simply cried as Kyuubi taunted and poked and prodded at him from the back of his brain. He must have become too pitiful for the man to stand, though, because Kyuubi eventually just faded away instead of manifesting himself and taking over Naruto's body as was prone to do. Maybe he'd come to realize that there was never any fun in doing that with Jiraiya around, since the man could and would easily restrain Naruto and keep Kyuubi from getting to do anything fun. Tsunade was more passive, wishing to not use physical force if she could. She always tried to talk Kyuubi into submission. And, of course, that never worked.

Naruto's tears only subsided when he became too sleepy to cry any longer. So much time had passed that Tsunade had shifted so that Naruto lay in her lap and she could continue to read the papers she'd been looking over in the beginning. Eventually, Naruto sat up and yawned, noticing he'd been nodding off. Tsunade smiled warmly at him, lifting a hand to affectionately card through his hair as he rubbed at one of his eyes.

After a covert glance at Jiraiya to confirm that he was, more or less, back to his friendly self, she suggested, "Why don't you have Pop tuck you in, okay?" Naruto's eyes went wide and filled with protest, but Tsunade didn't back down. She understood how important it was for them to address the situation before Naruto went to sleep and forgot all about it. Gentle as she tried to be, she understood how pressing these matters were, and they couldn't be ignored. She just pushed Naruto in the forehead playfully and grinned at him. "Go on, brat. Get outta here."

Naruto looked back at Jiraiya, who was already standing and waiting for him expectantly. He stared for a moment before he was able to stand and join him. He was glad to see a slight smile, at least, on the man's lips. It was that kind expression that gave him the courage to walk with the elder down to his room without breaking down into tears again. Although, he absolutely refused to meet his godfather's eyes out of shame and embarrassment. Despite Jiraiya's attempt at being approachable again, Naruto was wishing he could just disappear into a pile of dust.

As Naruto changed into sleepwear, Jiraiya sat on his bed and stared intensely into empty space. He only snapped out of his reverie when Naruto got under the covers. He moved to accommodate Naruto and tucked the boy in. Naruto was getting a little old for this sort of thing, but Jiraiya held on to the little tradition anyway. The sentimental side of him couldn't let go of these moments. He cherished them deeply. He loved this boy so much.

He sighed softly and tried to meet Naruto's gaze, but the boy promptly looked away and retreated under the covers slightly. That only made his heart ache more. "You understand, Naruto, right?" Jiraiya asked softly, uncertainly. "You understand why I'm tough with you about Kyuubi, don't you?" Naruto nodded, still averting his eyes and pulling the covers up even more to cover his nose. "Truly?" Jiraiya prodded.

Naruto nodded again. "Truly," he answered, his murmur barely audible through the barrier of the blanket.

"Good."

Jiraiya reached out, then, and pulled the covers down so that he could turn Naruto's face by the chin until they were face to face. Rather than forcing their eyes to meet, though, he simply kissed the boy on the forehead adoringly. He lingered only a moment, even if he never wanted to let go, and looked off toward the door.

"I'm only protecting you," he added, his voice quiet and gentle. "That's all."

He paused, finding it hard to give his legs the strength to lift him and carry him away from this precious child. But he did say his goodnight and stand to leave after a short moment. As he was about to go through the door, Naruto said in a voice so soft that it was almost missed, "I love you, Pop."

But Jiraiya had heard, and he paused, and he gripped the doorknob tightly as tears tried to break free from his own eyes. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed of his emotion. He gave himself a moment to steady his voice before returning the sentiment.

"I love you too, Naruto." He glanced over his shoulder at the bright, blue eyes boring into him and smiled gently. "Sleep well. And don't forget, you have the power."

Naruto smiled back. "I have the power," he repeated, his voice noticeably lighter as he nodded with confidence.


	2. Dreaming of You

**Title:** Dreaming of You  
**Word Count:** 1000  
**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day**  
**

**Summary:** As a child, Sasuke's parents were murdered in cold blood. After the money that had been left for him was squandered by guardian after guardian, Sasuke was left with only one thing to his name. There was just one problem. That particular thing was off traveling the world without him. He could never understand why his aniki had left him. And after the years of hoping for a return had passed, he turned into nothing more than a jaded man and disassociated himself with his brother entirely. Things change in the future though, and this is the fruit of that long-awaited reunion.

* * *

"Kaa-san!" Sasuke hollered reflexively as he jolted out of his nightmare.

Then, he remembered how Itachi always told him not to bother their parents at night that way because it was the only time they ever got alone together, and they would get sad if Sasuke interrupted it too much. It was the best explanation the boy could give to a child, but it did the job and got Sasuke to stop hollering for their mother at night. The only drawback was that he'd holler for Itachi instead, but Itachi never minded. He came every time and cooed his brother back to sleep, leaving their parents undisturbed.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke corrected—another automatic response.

He began to uncover himself, ready to dash to his brother's room because the elder wasn't responding quickly enough. His knees knocked into a bedside table, though, and caused him to whimper. What was that doing there? That wasn't supposed… to…

Oh. That's right.

This was a new room. And that was the new guardian opening his door so gruffly that Sasuke jumped in his bed and knocked his head on the headboard, causing new tears to spring up in his eyes.

"Hush!" the man hissed at Sasuke. He paused a moment to leer at Sasuke and instill the fear of making too much noise in his brain.

When Sasuke's door was closed again, he sank back into his bed and wrapped the blankets tightly around himself. He couldn't bring himself to be upset with his guardian because he understood that it was just the same as Itachi had always said. Except maybe this guy wasn't the same as Sasuke's parents, because he got angry instead of sad when Sasuke disturbed him at night.

Sasuke's thoughts fell to his brother, then, and he couldn't hold back a small sob. He knew he had to be quiet though, so he buried his face in his pillow and cried there instead. He was cold. He was scared.

_Nii-san_.

He was alone. Because his new guardians, the latest of Sasuke's four household changes since his parents had died two years ago, would never cuddle him at night. And his new guardians didn't have enough room for Itachi either, so Itachi had to leave. They told him that Itachi had left on his own, but Sasuke didn't believe them. Nii-san would never do that. Never. They made him go. They had to. They did. He recited these thoughts as the tears poured heavily from his eyes, desperately hoping them to be true.

_Nii-san wouldn't leave me. Nii-san wouldn't never leave. Never. Nii-san wouldn't go without me. He'll be back. He'll be back for me._

Sasuke jolted awake suddenly, a familiar cry on his lips. He silenced himself before it could be released though. It seemed old habits truly never did die. 32 years old and the man was still on the verge of calling out for his mother when he awoke from a nightmare. This one was out of the ordinary though. It was a memory from his childhood. Surely, there were darker things out there for him to dream about—this he knew from experience—and so maybe he should be grateful that the dream was so mild. But, truthfully, it'd held within it the darkest parts of his past, the parts most difficult for him to recall.

Those were the days when Itachi's absence was still fresh. Sasuke was still in denial. He still believed wholeheartedly that Itachi and him would meet up at the next house he was shipped to, or the next, or the next. One of them was bound to have room for both brothers. This was a memory from a time when Sasuke was innocent, from when all he wanted at night was the warmth of his aniki. And those bred the worst nightmares of all, the memories of a childish love that had never been returned. But Sasuke had been too naive to understand that he'd been abandoned at that time, not until years had passed without Itachi's return.

He no longer held onto that resentment though. His life had turned itself around into something worth living. It had taken time and effort and a lot of changing on Sasuke's behalf, but things had gotten better.

He sighed quietly as he realized that he would not be able to get to sleep again, not without finding some comfort. He could find it easily if he'd had someone to share the bed with. But, alas, Sasuke was alone. He'd had to expend so much of his focus on mending a particular bond in his life that there was no room left for anyone else. That had, ultimately, been what drove Naruto away from him. He didn't mind so much at the moment though, because there was one source of comfort that he knew no lover could ever replace for him.

He picked up the cell phone resting by his bed and dialed a very familiar and often utilized number as he settled back underneath his blankets. The phone rang once, twice, thrice, and then a click. Sasuke smiled softly, already relieved just knowing that his call had been received.

"Sasuke. Bad dreams?" came the sleepy voice.

"Yeah," Sasuke answered quietly. They had done this so many times that Sasuke had long forgotten to feel embarrassed about this childish need. "Sorry."

There was the sound of muffled rustling as Itachi, apparently, shifted in his own bed. He never disappointed. Whether it was the middle of the day or the middle of the night, the man answered Sasuke's calls without fail.

"S'fine. How about I tell you about the first time I ever went to India?" he suggested.

"Okay," Sasuke said quietly and closed his eyes.

And he felt like a kid again. Except this time, Itachi came to his room and lulled him to sleep instead of the many faces of the many guardians who simply had no time for a sniveling child. This time, Sasuke was not alone.


	3. Dominate Me

**Title:** Dominate Me  
**Word Count: **438

**Rating:** M  
**Warnings:**  
—Adult language and themes. Profanity and nudity.  
—Yaoi, meaning boyxboy.  
—Citrus, though not a full lemon.

**Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha, Kiba Inuzuka**  
Setting: **Alternate universe, modern-day**  
**

**Summary:** The dynamic between Sasuke and the thief he caught trying to rob him blind is definitely unusual. Instead of calling the cops on the hoodlum, Sasuke decided that he could use the man in other, more productive ways. Well, productive for himself at least. But if Kiba's reaction to Sasuke time and time again held any weight, he'd say it was productive for Kiba too. Not that he particularly cared.

* * *

Sasuke hissed as nails dragged across his chest. He promptly gathered both of the tan wrists in one hand and pinned them roughly against the bed, dropping his head low enough so that his lips would brush tantalizing over Kiba's.

"I said, no touching unless I tell you to," he growled, his voice low and threatening punishment if his commands were to be ignored again.

Kiba had been in this situation many times before with Sasuke. He knew that when the raven said to do something, you just did it. But he still couldn't help it if his hands sometimes wandered or if he accidentally disobeyed. It was hard not to touch Sasuke when he was on top of you like this, after all.

And Sasuke always got to top too. When would it be Kiba's turn? He was about to voice his complaints, but Sasuke caught his bottom lip between his teeth and tugged hard. That efficiently shut Kiba up. Sasuke released the lip and took to sucking it gently instead, something that could have counted as an apology if he were anyone else. His free hand roamed slowly down Kiba's torso as he released Kiba's now swollen lip.

"I didn't say you could speak," he husked.

"But…"

Kiba promptly let that sentence die, as he noticed that Sasuke's hand immediately stop its path when he spoke. He bit his own lip to keep himself from talking without permission then, not wanting to discover what punishment would be in store for disobeying.

Sasuke smirked. "Good boy."

His hand continued south until it brushed across Kiba's hardened length, causing Kiba to shudder and release a tiny whimper. As Sasuke's fingertips gently rubbed up the underside of Kiba's length, that whimper evolved into a quiet moan.

"That's acceptable," Sasuke informed, nudging Kiba's cheek with his nose to get him to turn his head. "You may make that noise again."

And then he wrapped his hand firmly around the base of Kiba's rigid member, slowly pulling his hand upward with a tight grip and earning himself another one of those unabashed moans. He bit Kiba's neck and kneaded a patch of skin between his teeth as he repeated his slow ministrations, causing the other to begin to pant slightly.

Sasuke leaned back and smirked after a couple of minutes of the slow torture, releasing Kiba's cock and moving his hand even further south. He leveled Kiba with a sultry gaze as the pad of his finger pressed against the man's entrance.

"Now," he husked, slowly grinding his own arousal against Kiba's, "I wanna hear you beg."


	4. Tap on My Window

**Title:** Tap on My Window  
**Word Count:** 1572  
**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha**  
Setting: **Alternate Universe, Modern-Day**  
**

**Summary:** On Sasuke's tenth birthday, his life changes. After their parents' murders, Itachi left Sasuke alone in the care of their latest guardian. Since then, Sasuke has, more or less, been on his own. It's on his eighth birthday that he vows to give up hope for his brother's return, but it's on his tenth that he finally seals the man away for good.

* * *

Two years ago to this very day, Sasuke was waiting for Itachi in this very same place. He could remember it vividly. He'd just moved into a new home with a new pair of unwilling guardians—some distant aunt and uncle who had never wanted kids and didn't wish to start the endeavor now. And if they had wanted a child in the first place, they certainly wouldn't have chosen the jaded, broken kid of this sort.

Sasuke knew what they thought of him, all of them, but it didn't make him all that angry. For a while, he had been far too preoccupied with wishing for Itachi's return to really even notice that he was being neglected. All he could think was that nii-san would come home and read him bedtime stories, or that nii-san would make him his favorite meals when he returned, or nii-san would make sure there were bubbles in his baths before bed... or that there was even a bath running at all to begin with.

Sasuke took on these little responsibilities of caring for himself early on in life, turning the weight of responsibility into a feeling of happiness and pride that he'd have something to show Itachi when the elder finally did return. Sasuke would, then, brag about how he could run his own bath now, even if he usually spilled way too much soap in and got in trouble for it. And he'd brag about how he could make his own sandwiches too, even if he had to go into the kitchen in secret now because he'd broken so many things that he'd gotten himself banned from entering without permission. And, of course, he was never allowed permission. Most of all, though, he'd brag about how he had learned to read big boy books all on his own.

And even if he could do none of those things very well on his own, he still did them anyway. Mostly, it was because he had no choice. The guardians he was stuck with were all there for the simple task of legally claiming him-housing him, feeding him, clothing him, sending him to school. They were not there to love him, and they didn't waste their time with attempting it either. They were typical Uchiha men and women, warm with only those they felt obligated to and cold to the rest. Sasuke was not theirs, and so he was never anything to fret over. And even if he got tired of having to care for himself because he truly couldn't do it very well, he told himself that it would all be better once nii-san came home. Things would be easy again, and it was this idea that he lived by right up until his eighth birthday. It was on that day, though, that Sasuke finally understood the truth as it was.

Itachi was gone, and he wasn't returning. He was never returning.

Sasuke realized that he was alone. He had been alone all along and he would continued to be alone from then on. But he still felt like just a child, like he was far too young to be left all on his own this way. He was only eight. Just eight. He'd sat on the patch of roof just above his bedroom window that day, scanning the area as far as he could see for a familiar form coming his way. He'd made a ritual of that when Itachi had first left. He figured the best place to be for Itachi to be able to find him again would be on the top of the house in plain sight. So that was where he took to spending a good chunk of his time.

Perhaps by this birthday, Sasuke had become so desperate for saving that he could wait not another day longer for Itachi to return. And maybe that was what had led to his breaking. Maybe he had grown so thin and fragile that there was no strength left to endure. He gave Itachi that day though, just that last day. He sat up on that rooftop all day long and waited, giving Itachi one more chance to find him, on the verge of tears through it all. It was okay, though, when he began to cry heavily as the sun went down, because no one was there to see. No one ever would be. He was alone.

The memory of that time came to him so vividly now that his eyes began to sting with tears cried two years ago. He blinked them away though. He would not cry for Itachi. Never again.

Today, on his tenth birthday, Sasuke was leaving. For the fourth time since his parents had passed, he was moving homes. He checked his watch, which he'd stolen from his uncle. The man had no clue, what with all the damn watches he had to begin with, and it wasn't like he looked at Sasuke enough to notice what they boy was wearing around his wrists anyway. His ride was ten minutes late. He could imagine that his current caretakers were probably getting very impatient by now.

Eventually, though, Sasuke did see a car turning onto their road from his vantage point. Perhaps that would finally be the lady from social services coming to take him to another family that didn't want him. He wondered vaguely if they'd ever run out of family members to ship him off to, or if they'd just start saying no. Would they send him to an orphanage then? Were they sending him to one now? He didn't know. But he did know that wherever he was going, it would not be home.

There was only one place for Sasuke to call home now, and that particular place was off travelling somewhere without him. Itachi was probably happy. He had probably forgotten all about his brother. And for that, Sasuke hated him. He had sworn two years ago that he'd forget Itachi too. It had taken a year to really come to terms with the fact that he had been truly abandoned. But by the time he was nine, he didn't want to sit up on the roof anymore. He didn't want to wait for Itachi.

Would he ever really give up hope though? After all, wasn't that why he was sitting on his roof now? Sure, his excuse was that he was waiting for the car to show up and take him away, but he knew the truth. Because even after he spotted the car getting closer and closer until it was inevitably the one he'd been awaiting, he kept searching the area anyway. But no one was there. No one else was coming for him. Maybe this would be the final straw and maybe it was better this way, because Itachi was not rushing to reach Sasuke before he could be taken away again.

So could Sasuke truly give it up now? Would he be able to kick this stupid habit? Or would it go on? Would he continue to wait like the stunted child he was? In the end, he was pulled off the roof by his uncle and shooed away without having been able to really make up his mind. The car ride was made in total silence on Sasuke's end, though the social worker kept trying to engage him. He simply stared out the window and ignored her for a half an hour. After that, the remaining hour and a half drive was made in silence that Sasuke was grateful for. When they arrived at his new "home", the hour was late.

The man of the house received him and there was a small chat before the social worker was gone. Sasuke had expected a gruff first meeting, and that was what he'd gotten. There were no pleasantries exchanged. He was given a half-hearted tour that ended at his bedroom. He was told a few house rules, which were strict and unforgiving, and that if he didn't wish to follow them, then he could simply leave the house and do as he wished. He nodded respectfully, having already known the repercussions of disrespecting an Uchiha man, and bade his new guardian goodnight.

And again, Sasuke was alone.

A glance around his room brought to his immediate attention an open window by the bed. He walked over and looked out. It was an easy point to climb up to the top of the roof from. He briefly scanned the area around the house that he could see, and then he stepped back. It was too painful to keep stepping forward. It would only hurt him even more in the end to step toward these windows. They provided a false sense of hope, and that would only continue to destroy him. He needed to abandon hope and see the world for what it truly was, no more and no less.

This was goodbye and as the final farewell, Sasuke whispered a few words of parting, the last gentle words he would speak to/of his brother for many years to come, before shutting his window softly. That was the last time he would think of Itachi as his brother. Now, he was just another man on the street. Now, he was but a hair short of Sasuke's enemy. It was time to move on, because Itachi had already done that years ago.


	5. Why Me?

**Title:** Why Me?  
**Word Count: **1034

**Rating:** T+  
**Warnings:  
**—Adult language. Swearing.  
—Slight allusions to self-harm, though no details.

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day**  
**

**Summary:** As Naruto stares himself down in the mirror, he recalls the tragedies of his life and how, at this age, it's becoming more and more difficult to appreciate his godparents' efforts. His mother died when he was young and he never knew his father. So as a boy who has had to live with some terrible things, including the prejudice and judgement of an entire town, could anyone really blame him for feeling this way? And if anyone out there could empathize with the things he's had to deal with from the man inside his head alone, then he'd be glad to meet them and get pointers on how to continue living a normal life. Because there's nothing normal about the entity inside his head. There's nothing normal about Kyuubi at all. And so, by extension, there's nothing normal about Naruto either, is there?

* * *

I look at myself in the mirror and just… stare. The scars on my cheeks—three whiskers neatly placed across each one—are really noticeable underneath the fluorescent lights in the bathroom. I always tell Baa-chan to just buy the normal bulbs because I hate the way the fluorescents glare in my eyes, but she just ignores me. I think she knows the real reason why I hate them, and it's not because they glare in my eyes. It's because they glare on other parts of my face, on my cheeks. I think that's why she keeps buying them though.

The truth is that it's hard for me to look at those scars without being overwhelmed. The emotion sometimes differs—angry, upset, repulsed, or else just depressed—but it's always intense and stifling. The scars aren't deep, not really. They're slight enough so that if someone fleetingly ran their fingers across my cheeks, they wouldn't feel a difference they could notice. The scars tend to blend in fairly well most of the time. And when they aren't blending, most people thankfully ignore them. But I can't. I can't ignore them, especially not when those stupid fluorescent bathroom lights highlight them like they're the main attraction at a freak show.

I sigh and glance away. Baa-chan knows I'm sensitive about the scars, so, like I was saying, I think she keeps getting the light bulbs just to make me come to terms with them. I think she wants me to see myself as I am and accept it… but I can't do that. I can't accept who I am, because I don't really _know_ who I am. I often wonder _what _I even am. Am I normal? But, mostly, I ask myself one thing repeatedly. Why me? Why did I, Naruto Uzumaki, get stuck with such a fucked up life?

Every major thing that has happened to me has been unfortunate and even sometimes cruel, and that's all due to one thing. Kyuubi. The doctors can say what they want, but I know the truth about my mother's death. It was Kyuubi. He stressed her out so much that her health just deteriorated, and then, eventually, she died. She left me because she couldn't handle me, because she couldn't handle _Kyuubi_.

Baa-chan says not to think that way, but I don't understand how I could think any other way. She doesn't understand me or Kyuubi really. I know my godparents are just trying to desensitize me to my negative feelings, since they only fire Kyuubi up even more, but I hate that they do this to me sometimes. It doesn't seem to help at all when they buy the lightbulbs I hate. And it doesn't help when they cast me aside, insisting that they just can't coddle me anymore. I know they love me, and I know they aren't trying to ostracize me. I just need to be independent if I want to be able to handle Kyuubi on my own when I finally move out. And I need to be able to fight my own self, my own negativity, to survive out there, unless I want Kyuubi controlling my every more. Literally.

But, still, I want a hug sometimes. I want comfort. I was sympathy. I want relief. But I'll never get relief, not from Kyuubi, so they can't give me any of those things. Those things might make me feel too safe, and being safe means letting down my guard, and letting down my guard means giving Kyuubi all the power he needs. Isn't that fucked up? Not only can I not be too angry or upset or depressed, but I can't be too happy or feel too safe or get too comfortable. I can't feel too much of anything, good or bad, because Kyuubi destroys it for me. He destroys everything.

I want to go back to when I was four, back to when Kyuubi was no more than a stuffed toy. If I had known back then that Kyuubi would become _this_, then I would have shredded that toy into a million pieces. I was so lonely then though. I was different than the other kids. Mom used to tell me when I'd ask that the other kids just didn't understand me, but I never understood why. I was normal, wasn't I? I wanted to play, and I was friendly, and I always shared my toys. I was the perfect candidate to be friends. So why did I have no friends? I still don't know what it was that kept them all away from me, but I do know that I was alone all the time and Kyuubi was my only friend. And I know that I got very tired of being lonely.

Eventually, I started to think that maybe Kyuubi was making the other kids not like me. Maybe he wasn't cool anymore, so I created an invisible version of him so that he could always be there me without being seen. But that was when Kyuubi became the enemy. He pushed the other kids even further away from me. At four years old, Kyuubi took over my body for the first time, and he made these marks on my cheeks with my very own hands. It was as if I'd branded myself as abnormal then. I was a freak. After that, there was no hope. I was outcasted entirely. I would never have a chance in this small town. Not even now, not even eleven years later at fifteen. I'm still the crazy Uzumaki boy, even if I've been pretending Kyuubi isn't real for years now. They'll never stop seeing me as the lunatic of the town.

But I'm not crazy because Kyuubi _is_ real, and he's staring back at me right now in the mirror. Those six scars across my cheeks, they _are_ Kyuubi. Always reminding me that he's there just underneath, waiting for me to slip up so that he can tear more precious things away from me. He took away my ability to make bonds; he took away my mother; and he'll take away everything else he possibly can too.

Why me? Why _me_? And _why_ these fucking fluorescent lights?


	6. Sasuke's Secrets

**Title: **Sasuke's Secrets  
**Word Count:** 428**  
**

******Rating:** T+**  
Warnings:  
**—Adult language. Swearing.

**Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha**  
Setting:** Any verse really

**Summary:** Sasuke is prompted to tell Itachi how he truly feels about the man.

* * *

I hate you, Itachi. I hate you so much. I question your integrity every day of my life. I wonder if you can even call yourself a true Uchiha. Even if father and I were constantly at odds, he taught me some things about the Uchiha way of life that I'll never forget. For a lot of my childhood, I was angry at him. I was angry because he loved you and disregarded me. But I learned from him.

Uchiha are proud men and women. We shall not give up that pride for anyone, except those we love. Because when you love someone, you treat them well. Uchiha do not laugh for laughter's sake, for there are more important things to focus on. But when you are alone with loved ones, you share your smile with them. Uchiha do not show weakness. Hell, Uchiha do not _feel_ weakness. But Uchiha do not hide from their most precious people.

Itachi, wasn't I ever precious to you? Out of all those things that father taught me, perhaps the lesson that stuck the most was a lesson of loyalty. Your friends, your family, you stick with them. You do not abandon them. Sometimes, things must be done. Sometimes, we must sacrifice for the sake of the greater good, and sometimes that hurts us too.

But when it comes to you, to what you're choices have done to me, I don't think that there was any greater good and I don't think that you were hurt. I think that I alone was hurt. If that's not true, then why won't you tell me the truth? Why did you leave me with no explanation and then feed me lies when we finally met up again after so many years? Why were you so fucking impassive, as if you hadn't missed me for a second?

I've tried to see things from your point of view so many times, but the anger is stifling. No, that's not even true. It's the hurt, the pain. That's what's choking me. And I'm not afraid to admit that to you. I will tell you, Itachi, that I am suffering. I will show you my weakness because _you_ are precious to _me_, because father taught me to be a true Uchiha who does not give up his bonds, who does not give half of himself to his loved ones.

So, how do I feel about you, Itachi? I hate you. I hate you so much… because… I love you… and I've had to do that all on my own.


	7. Star, Moon, Spade

**A/N:** This is three very short drabbles in one. They all share...

**Rating:** K+  
**Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha  
**Setting:** Any verse

* * *

**Title:** Star  
**Word Count:** 236  
**Summary:** The stars are shining beautifully and Sasuke wants his aniki to see them.

Sasuke suddenly popped his head up from its relaxed position on his bed when he heard a very faint noise. He listened intently for a long moment with his brows furrowed seriously until he heard it again. And then he hopped off his bed at lightning speed and bolted for the nearest exit. It was getting near his usual bedtime, but it was a Saturday and his parents always let him stay up later on Saturdays. Convincing them to let him keep the cat he'd just heard was a whole other story though. Nonetheless, he went hunting for it. To his luck, the kitten was sitting conveniently right outside the sliding door.

He crouched down to scratch its head and it nuzzled against him. Deciding it was friendly, he picked it up and turned to go inside. But he caught a glimpse of the sky as he was moving and it made him pause, his eyes widening in awe. It was so clear and bright tonight, like he'd never seen it before.

"N-Nii-san," he muttered, still entranced. And then, "Nii-san!" much louder. He leaned into the house and called down toward Itachi's room. "Aniki, come look! I can see _every single _star in the sky!" he hollered excitedly. When the elder Uchiha's eyes landed on a beaming Sasuke bouncing on his toes with a stray cat in hand, he could do nothing but smile and oblige.

* * *

**Title: **Moon  
**Word Count:** 325  
**Summary:** It's the middle of the night and Sasuke has a nightmare about Itachi, but Itachi has long been gone.

Sasuke sprung up from his dream at lightning speed, chest clutched and eyes wide with fear. He paused tensely for a long moment before he doubled over and began panting, shaking his head to the image still lingering in his head. In his twenties, it was a little strange to still be having nightmares at night and waking up in a state like this, but this dream had been so vivid and terrifying. As much as he didn't want to admit to that terror, it was impossible to downplay. His heart was racing a million miles a minute, his body sweating and panting, his fingers trembling. The nightmare was lingering on his skin, it felt like, and he buried his face in his pillow to try and avoid it.

He'd been running after Itachi. Nothing strange there. He often dreamt of chasing his elder brother but never reaching him in the end, a direct parallel to the life he'd been leading. The strange part of this dream, though, was that he'd finally caught the elder. But when Itachi turned, it was with a weapon pointed right at Sasuke's head. And with an empty stare, with not even a tinge of emotion, he ended the boy.

Part of Sasuke still wanted his brother around. He wanted Itachi there to alleviate his suffering in the moment, to comfort him, to care for him, to settle his nerves. But the bigger part of him was angry. His ties with Itachi had been severed. He was supposed to have stopped caring for the elder. So why did he fear such a thing? Because it was not the death he feared. It was the look in his brother's eyes, a look of someone who's already dead.

In the end, all Sasuke could do was lay back down and try to forget. Most of all, though, he tried to stifle his tears. He would not cry for Itachi anymore. Never again.

* * *

**Title: **Spade  
**Word Count:** 322  
**Summary:** Sasuke and Itachi play together.

Sasuke rolled his neck and cracked his fingers before crouching down and jumping as high as he possibly could, stretching his reach out for the one branch that would make the _perfect_ hiding spot. Of course, his little legs barely lifted him off of the ground. And while he swore his fingers had scraped the bark, he'd missed by a good foot.

Itachi, of course, saw the entire thing from where he stood. He'd finished counting about ten seconds ago and announced as much, but Sasuke, clearly, hadn't heard. Itachi just couldn't bring himself to tell Sasuke that he was watching the whole thing though, so he, instead, stayed silent and just started counting again to give Sasuke time to choose another spot.

Eventually, Sasuke grew tired of jumping and settled on just sitting among the roots of the tree. He still thought he'd chosen a spot that Itachi would _never_ find, of course being completely oblivious to the fact that his hair and entire back were visible to the elder. Itachi announced that he was going to begin his search and immediately saw that Sasuke hadn't moved. He simply smiled at his brother's back and pretended to be oblivious though.

For a couple of long minutes, Itachi searched the backyard in vain for Sasuke before declaring that he gave up. That was when Sasuke jumped out from his spot, prompting Itachi to feign total and complete shock, and began to giggle his little head off. "That's another point for me, aniki!" he boasted proudly. "You are really bad at this game you know."

"It's just that you're so good, otouto," Itachi replied. "I can never win against you. You always seem to find me, but I can never find you." He ruffled Sasuke's hair and smiled affectionately. "Now turn and count." And then, as routine, he chose a moderately obvious spot, something Sasuke couldn't see right away but could find easily.


	8. A Click & A Bang

**Title:** A Click & A Bang  
**Word Count:** 1538

**Rating:** T+  
**Warnings:  
**—Gun violence.  
—Colorful language, like swearing and shit.  
—boyxboy, but it's just some touching and the implication of a sexual relationship.

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day**  
**

**Summary:** Naruto accidentally kills Sasuke.

* * *

For Sasuke, carrying his family's name and responsibilities alone put him in constant and inevitable danger. There would always be people that the Uchiha did not sit well with, and so it was not strange for him to have learned to properly handle a gun at a young age. It was, of course, simply in case of emergencies, but still something that all Uchiha were expected to know. Self-defense was a must, whether it be in hand-to-hand combat or with a weapon. Now, Naruto was beyond ecstatic when Sasuke offered to teach him to shoot. He'd never handled a gun before, for he'd never had a proper excuse. Now, however, he had an awesome (secret boy)friend who was awesome enough to awesomely teach him how to do awesome shit like handling awesome guns, and he was pumped!

He turned the gun around his hands, admiring it in awe.

"It's just a gun, Naruto," Sasuke said, chuckling lightly at Naruto.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It's my first time," he said back in his defense.

"I know, I know," Sasuke replied, patting Naruto on the back with a smile. "I'm only teasing." Naruto smiled back. "Alright," Sasuke said, turning Naruto to face the targets. "First of all, you need to be sure you have the proper stance," he began to explain as he kicked Naruto's feet out to the proper distance from each other. "Make sure your hips are turned like this," he went on, using his hands to grip the blond from behind. Naruto smirked, knowing that Sasuke was perhaps being more hands on than necessary. He glanced back at the man from the corner of his eye playfully. "Eyes forward," Sasuke said, a smirk on his lips as well, and Naruto obeyed.

Next, Sasuke helped Naruto lift his arms. "Both hands on the gun. This one under here for support," he went on, his lips close to Naruto's ear as he reached around the man. He trailed his hands back down Naruto's arms and sides until they rested on his hips again. "Now aim," he whispered, closing his eye and looking down the barrel of the gun too. "Take a deep breath. Slow and steady. Just before you pull the trigger, hold that breath in."

Sasuke paused then, waiting for Naruto to take his shot. Naruto, however, was struggling to focus on the gun in his hands as opposed to the hands on his waist. It took a few deep breaths before he could really focus on the weapon in his hands. Eventually, though, he did take his first shot.

"Good!" Sasuke said immediately, clearly very pleased with the blond.

Naruto playfully nudged his shoulder back into Sasuke's as he lowered the gun. "Yeah, well, you didn't make it very easy for me."

"If you can shoot that well with me feeling you up, then you'll be good at this," Sasuke said, stepping away from Naruto with a smile. "I don't wanna preach," he went on more seriously, "but you really should be careful. I don't wanna teach you something you'll abuse," He smiled at Naruto though. "—not that I think you'd do that. But my teacher used to always tell me that a bullet never lies," he continued. "And he'd tell me to always think about that every single time before I pulled the trigger, no matter what I'm aiming at."

Just as those last words left his lips, the lights suddenly went out. Naruto's hand found Sasuke's arm and automatically gripped tightly, causing Sasuke to snicker at his response. Though, Sasuke did reach up and touch Naruto's hand gently as reassurance.

"I'm here," he assured through the darkness. "I'm sure they'll be back on in a minute."

Naruto nodded. And then he remembered that the action couldn't be seen. "Not like I'm—" He cut off abruptly when a loud bang sounded off. "—scared..." he finished after a moment of silence.

A couple more moments later and more bangs went off, multiple of them in succession, causing Naruto to flinch badly. Without the sound of his voice layered atop it, it was easy to tell what that sound was. He gripped Sasuke's arm more tightly and Sasuke gripped his hand back, stepping forward to pull Naruto close.

"Stay calm," he said softly.

"Okay," Naruto replied, his voice quiet. "Calm. I'm calm."

"Good," Sasuke said, his voice doing wonders to keep the blond from freaking out. Still, he gripped the gun in his hand tightly. Sasuke, whose weapon had been holstered, reached up and slowly took it out. "Stay calm," he repeated before stepping away from Naruto.

Naruto panicked then and gripped Sasuke even more tightly. "Where are you going?!" he hissed, yanking Sasuke back.

"Naruto, I have to go make sure that the people out front are okay," he whispered.

"D-Don't leave me here alone!" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke sighed, one of his hands finding its way to Naruto's face where he rubbed gently. "Just stay calm and stay quiet," he said softly. "I have more experience in this area, so don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"But those were _gunshots_," Naruto argued. "Sasuke, they have _guns_!"

"And so do I," Sasuke said back. Though Sasuke was perfectly calm, Naruto's breath was ragged. "Stay calm," Sasuke whispered again. "I will be _right back_."

Naruto hesitated for a moment before reluctantly whispering, "O-Okay."

"Ready your gun," Sasuke instructed. "If anyone approaches you, shoot. Don't hesitate, Naruto. Shoot them."

"O-Okay," Naruto replied, his voice shaky.

Sasuke began slowly moving away. When they were finally completely separated, Naruto had to bite his lips to keep himself from hyperventilating. He couldn't help it if he was scared though. He didn't understand how Sasuke could be so calm. After a few moments, he saw the door to the entrance of the range, which he currently stood fairly close to, open and Sasuke's shadow slipped out into the light beyond. The door was left open, so Naruto slowly edged toward it. After a few agonizingly long minutes, Naruto heard more gunshots. All of which made him flinch terribly. Now just a few feet away from the door but still standing in the shadows, Naruto startled when he saw two people barrel through the doorway.

"S-Sasuke?!" Naruto said loudly, frantically. "Sasuke?!"

He heard two more gunshots and then a body fell to the ground. Then, he really began to panic. He held his gun up with shaky hands, not really noticing that he'd stepped out into the light from the doorway. He heard heavy footsteps next, the sound of running. And he really panicked. All at once, a form burst partially into the light, a voice began to speak, and Naruto pulled the trigger.

It was mostly an accident. He had flinched when the person suddenly came into view, so his finger just sort of slipped on the trigger. He'd only been holding it so tensely in the first place because... well... there was a foreign body running at him and he was terrified. The bang had covered up the person's voice, though, so Naruto didn't really realize what he'd done until the form stumbled fully into the light. His fingers went numb and the gun was a long forgotten thing, a horrified gasp escaping past his instantly trembling lips.

Sasuke's face was scrunched up in a grimace, a hand held loosely over the bullet wound in his chest. He stumbled forward another step before tripping over himself and choking out a hoarse "ouch". As he began to fall, Naruto was there to catch him. They both stumbled back into the darkness, but the lights abruptly turned on. Naruto did not care about the world around him though. He had tunnel vision, and Sasuke was at the end of it. He guided the raven gently down to the ground where he could lay in Naruto's lap.

Naruto's breath was shallow, his heart pumping, his vision blurred with tears that burned his chest. It only took but a moment for it all to truly sink in, for Naruto to fully realize what he'd just done. And all he could do after that was sob. With his face buried in Sasuke's neck, he choked out incomprehensible apologies. Sasuke understood though, and he managed to comfort. With whatever strength he could muster, Sasuke gently rubbed Naruto's arm and neck.

Words eluded him—hell, _breath_ eluded him—but he hoped that the gesture would be enough to convey his thoughts nonetheless.

Naruto simply stayed like that. There was no beautiful, heartfelt goodbye. There was no emotional confession of love or a drawn out and passionate farewell kiss. There was nothing but the sound of Naruto's desperate cries. And when the paramedics finally arrived on the scene, it did not take ten of them to pull him away from the lifeless body of his lover. It took one, soft-spoken gentleman. He did not get a blanket that was somehow supposed to help with the shock. The scene was neither elegant nor touching.

It was miserable, and Naruto never stopped crying. Not once. And it would be that way for weeks to come. The tears, they would never stop falling. He would not pause to live or breathe. He would simply mourn.


	9. At Fault

**Title:** At Fault  
**Word Count:** 1196

**Rating:** T+  
**Warnings:  
**—Attempted suicide

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day**  
**

**Summary:** Naruto blames himself for Sasuke's death. Pretty much a sequel to the previous drabble 'A Click & A Bang'.

* * *

Forgive me, Sasuke.

I know it's useless to ask because, well, you're… gone. You can't forgive me, can you? And even if you could, you probably wouldn't. You have no reason to forgive and I have no right to forgiveness.

What if I were stronger?

What if I were smarter?

What if I were braver?

I think about the what if's every day, and every day the same answer comes to me. I could have protected you. I could have saved you. I could have, should have, would have… but I didn't.

Maybe fate works like this though. Maybe no matter what, it weaves on its way. Maybe the will of one man does not matter, does not put a dent in destiny. Because if it did, you would be here. You would be with me. Maybe we're just slaves to misery and we all get our whips in turn. And maybe this is my time for whipping, for the torment we all deserve.

But, at the very least, if I could not have changed the course of fate, then I could have sent you off with more than a pathetic apology. I could have sent you off with words of love, the words of my heart. I could have given you a smile and a kiss goodbye; but, instead, I wept like a child. I could not collect myself for you because I was too weak. I could not confess myself to you because I was stupid. And I could not relent myself to you because I was a coward. I'd do it all now though. I'd give you everything, Sasuke. I'd give you it all, whatever you wanted. But it's too late for that, isn't it? It's too late for these words. It's too late for it all.

And that's my own fault.

We didn't know each other all that long but, dear god, how I loved you. I loved you so fucking much, and it sucks that I can only say that now after you've… gone on. I spent so many nights awake swearing to protect you though, swearing to love you. They were promises that I made to myself because I was too cowardly to make them to you. But I think that, in a way, they ended up making it into your heart as well, because I feel like we were really just one being separated at our birth. You must have known everything in my heart, Sasuke, _because my heart was you_.

Forgive me, Sasuke. I ask again for you to forgive me. Though you are cold and distant, dead and gone, I ask… I beg… just forgive me.

So many what if's. So many. _Too_ many for my fragile heart.

Naruto finished reading over the note in his hands, tears streaming down his face. He really should have addressed someone else… but, really, no one else mattered. He carefully set the note down on his bed, which he was kneeling before, and took a few shuddering breaths, trying to keep himself from outright sobbing.

It had been about a month now since Sasuke's death. No, that wasn't right. It had been a month now since Naruto had _killed_ him. Even if Naruto hadn't dealt the fatal blow in the physical sense, he would have done so figuratively. And he could not escape all of those what if's. They said it was just survivor's guilt, that it would pass, that he would learn to deal with it. But he didn't want to learn to _deal_ with it. He wanted it to go away. He wanted the pain to stop. Or, really, he wanted this all to be a dream, for Sasuke to come back.

He closed his eyes, shaky breaths jutting out past his lips, and thought back on all the memories he'd made with Sasuke. He remembered all the things Sasuke had to offer him, all the things he'd taught Naruto. And he remembered how they were always laughing together. That was such a beautiful sound, Sasuke's laughter. And his smile. And his voice. And the way the words of his native language fell from his lips like silk.

Naruto clasped his chest. God, it just hurt so fucking much.

He lifted the hand clutching something else entirely, though it was shaking, and felt a coolness flush against the flesh of his temple; and it was soothing. Oh, god, it was so soothing. His heartbeat slowed to a less frantic pace. His breathing regulated somewhat, at least enough to keep him from falling into full-blown hyperventilation. For a few moments, he simply sat there, slowly calming himself down. The tears could never quite stop though, and that was fine. If they did, then wouldn't that just be a shame to Sasuke's memory? Naruto felt like going even a moment without mourning Sasuke was an insult. He felt like he could never stop. The tears could never stop.

Soon, though, they would.

He lifted the note to his lips and kissed it softly before gently placing it back down. He readied himself—a shift of his pointer finger, the straightening of his wrist, the tool flattening out against his head, his eyes fluttering shut—and inhaled deeply. "I'm coming, Sasuke," he whispered as he exhaled. And then he held his breath and pulled the trigger.

But all he heard was a click.

For a few moments, he just sat there like that—barrel flesh to his skin, finger tight on the trigger, hand shaking fervently—until he, eventually, allowed his arm to just drop down to the ground with a thump. He let his head fall heavily against his mattress in frustration as well, shifting so that his forehead would rest on the mattress but his eyesight would not be obstructed.

Slowly, he pulled the gun back up from the ground in a loose grip to look at it more properly. He pulled the slide and a bullet popped out, falling into his lap and rolling off his knees onto the floor. He simply stared at it absently for a few long moments, unsure of how he felt about this failed attempt. He still had a full magazine though. He could try again. And again. And again, if he had to. Soon enough, he sat back and picked up the bullet. Just moments later, an ethereal breeze washed through the window open to the previously still night. But perhaps breeze was too strong a word. Yes, because it was more like a wisp of breath kissing his face and sweeping down into his lungs to give him life.

Sasuke's voice was ringing in his head. '_A bullet never lies…_'

And Naruto didn't need to think about anything any further. He just brought the bullet up to his lips and kissed it tenderly, feeling another wave of an impossible breeze gently ruffle up his hair. He dropped the gun and let it lay where it fell, choosing to, instead, climb into his bed. He cradled that bullet against his chest, right over his heart, and closed his eyes.

A murmur. "Sasuke, I understand."

And for the first night in a month, Naruto did not cry.


	10. Abused & Comfort Me

**A/N:** These two only share a chapter because they are both really short and I didn't want to give either their own chapter alone. They don't relate at all, just so you know.

* * *

**Title:** Abused  
**Word Count:** 267  
**Rating:** T+

**Warnings:  
**—Adult language. Swearing.  
—Physical abuse.

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Modern-Day, Anything at all really**  
**

**Summary:** Naruto walks in on Sasuke being physically abused, and his reaction is one that none of the parties involved are likely to soon forget.

* * *

Naruto let himself into Sasuke's place, as he'd become accustomed to doing as of late, but he stopped dead in his tracks halfway through the doorway. The sight he'd just walked in on was just… unbelievable, _utterly unbelievable_.

His eyes darted to take in the full situation. Hovering above Sasuke was a man, who looked to be his father, with his fist raised. As for Sasuke, he was half kneeling before his father. His was arm already showing dark bruising as it was caught in the elder Uchiha's tight grip, which kept Sasuke half on the floor and half partially raised off of it.

His face was lightly bruised on the right side, but his torso was much worse for wear. From what Naruto could see, it looked as if Sasuke had probably just received a few harsh open palms to the face and that the fist currently raised was aimed at his chest, as that was where all the real bruising was placed.

Sasuke's free hand was not even raised in defense, and that was the worst part to Naruto. It signified acceptance. He wasn't fighting. He wasn't squirming. He was just… sitting there. Did this happen so often that Sasuke could just take it so easily?

Naruto saw red. Sasuke's father be damned. He crossed the room and slugged the fucker right in the face. And with a heaving chest, trembling fingers, and a voice straining not to scream and shout, he hissed a threat— No, a promise.

"Don't you ever touch him like that again or I swear to god I'll fucking kill you."

* * *

**Title:** Comfort Me  
**Word Count:** 497  
**Rating:** K+

**Warnings:**  
—OOC Konan

**Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha, Konan  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe. Could be considered Canon Divergence or Modern-Day. Whatevz.**  
**

**Summary:** Sasuke attempts to comfort his boss Konan when he accidentally catches her in tears after office hours.

* * *

Sasuke sighed heavily as he gathered his things to finally head home from work for the evening. It had been a long, long, _long_ day and he was just eager to get some well-earned rest. He'd had to stay late checking over everyone's work for the day since he'd been incapacitated with a file of his own to work on. He was passing a cubicle when he heard soft sobbing though, and that caused him to pause. No one should be here this late… He continued forward a few steps and peered into the cubicle, seeing Konan. That was right. She often stayed late as well.

She was curled up on the chair inside the cubicle, hugging her knees and sobbing quietly. What Sasuke didn't understand was why she was in some random cubicle instead of her spacious, walled office. He glanced at the nameplate. It was Yahiko's space. So why was Konan crying in Yahiko's cubicle? He thought about just tiptoeing past and going home—he certainly didn't much care about why she was crying, nor did he wish to find out—but as soon as he'd thought that, she lifted her head to sniffle and caught sight of him.

He groaned internally. Caught.

"O-Oh!" Konan exclaimed, her cheeks turning red. "S-Sasuke! I didn't know you were still here!" She straightened up and tried to wipe away her tears.

Sasuke stepped fully into the cubicle's opening then—no point in trying to hide, as he was already found out—and nodded stiffly at Konan. "Just checking today's progress," he informed.

"Y-Yeah, m-me too," Konan lied.

She jiggled the mouse at the computer to boot up the screen. The computer was off though, and it was obvious that she hadn't been working at all. She seemed aware of this flaw in her plan too. She knew she'd been caught in a lie, so she just cut all her losses.

"It's just that I've been in love with him for so long but he never notices!" she suddenly exploded, grabbing Sasuke's shirt and pulling him over to bury her face in his stomach. Sasuke scowled down at her. She was going to ruin his shirt with her makeup. "And I'm his b-boss, so it's impossible anyway!" Konan added frantically. "But I love him, Sasuke! How am I supposed to handle this anymore?!" she sobbed.

Sasuke stood there for a moment, fighting the urge to just brush Konan off. Eventually, though, he awkwardly patted her head in an attempt at comfort. Sasuke was never good at giving advice. He was too blunt and frank. He really didn't care about Konan's love life woes either, nor did he have anything good to offer her in response. The best he could do was give her a logical answer.

"Uh… you just… move on…" he supplied.

But that only seemed to exacerbate the situation. He sighed and continued awkwardly patting her head. Looked like he'd be there for a while. So much for that much-needed rest.


	11. A Little Messy

**Title:** A Little Messy  
**Word Count:** 958  
**Rating:** K+

**Warnings:**  
—Just an innocent boyxboy kiss and allusions to a sexual relationship, but nothing more.

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day**  
**

**Summary:** Naruto and Sasuke make a mess and have to clean it up together, and then they accidentally kiss for the very first time.

* * *

Naruto scrutinized the recipe in front of himself before adding the approximate amount of everything that it called for. He mixed it up until he decided that he fucking hated mixing things. He looked down at his clothes, as he had refused to wear a girly apron, and frowned at his messy appearance. Why in the world did he ever agree to this? Their second date had gone along well, as they'd simply had a casual lunch together and laughed the entire time. Naruto had learned a little bit more about Sasuke's family too. In the end, he must have been on a good date high or something, because that was the only reason he could think of that would compel him to say yes to this idea.

When Sasuke suggested Naruto go over to his place the upcoming weekend to have dinner, Naruto thought it a swell idea. Red flags should have gone off the second that Sasuke suggested they cook their dinner together, but he'd agreed anyway… like a true idiot. He'd always known he was no good at cooking. No, that was an understatement. He was downright awful at it. Instant ramen was his limit, and even then he sometimes messed that up. So why had he agreed to work on dessert while Sasuke prepared the actual meal?

As he turned to voice all of these complaints, he ended up smiling at the way Sasuke hummed lightly to himself—probably thinking that Naruto wouldn't hear—as he chopped up some vegetables. Naruto picked up the bowl he had been stirring in and snuck up behind Sasuke, coating his fingertip with some of the chocolate cake batter. Once behind Sasuke, he reached around and wiped it off onto Sasuke's nose, causing the other to stop what he was doing. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at Naruto and smiled.

"Done?" he asked.

"Nope," Naruto said, disregarding the fact that Sasuke was talking about the actual dessert preparations. "Just a little more," he said, dipping two fingers in the bowl and marking lines across Sasuke's cheeks with them. Sasuke just let Naruto do as he pleased, simply enjoying the childish grin on his face. "There," Naruto said, a pleased smile on his lips. "Now I'm done."

"And what's this for?" Sasuke asked, setting down his knife and pushing the cutting board away to turn around and give Naruto his full attention.

"It's your war paint," Naruto supplied. "If we're gonna cook, we gotta make it manly."

"Then you need some too," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto gestured to his clothes, covered in flour and egg and completed batter all alike. "I think I already got some." He, then, smiled a bit sheepishly and pointed a thumb at the area of the kitchen he'd just been working in. "And I gave some to your kitchen too," he added.

Sasuke simply laughed as he glanced past Naruto. "Nothing a mop can't fix," he assured. He dipped his finger in the batter and reached out to tap it onto the tip of Naruto's nose, but Naruto jerked away.

"Hey!" he complained. "I'm already a mess! Don't make me messier!"

Sasuke simply smirked and moved quick enough to wipe the batter off on Naruto's face before the man could move away again. Naruto glared, but there was a grin on his lips completely negating it. He dipped his fingers and then dragged them down Sasuke's entire face, starting from his forehead and going down across his nose and lips to his chin. Sasuke responded by coating his fingers and flicking the batter at Naruto to splatter it all over his face. And that just started a war. By the end of it all, the kitchen was covered in cake batter. The pair found themselves doubled over and laughing at each other.

"We gotta clean it up now," Sasuke pointed out as his chuckling subsided.

Naruto shrugged. "Eh," he said, stepping close to Sasuke. Instinctively, Sasuke stepped back but found himself pressed against the counter. "I'd rather clean you," Naruto said, wiping a finger down Sasuke's cheek and then licking the cake batter off.

Sasuke smirked, catching the suggestive tone in Naruto's voice, and slipped away. "But first, we'll clean this mess," he insisted. "Once the kitchen is done, you can clean me all you want," he promised, quirking his brow in a way that was neither suggestive nor innocent and, yet, both.

Naruto grinned. "Hand me a mop then," he said.

They tried to clean the kitchen. Really, they did. But Naruto ended up splashing Sasuke with water at a teasing comment the raven had made, which prompted Sasuke to do the same right back. Then, Naruto went and pushed Sasuke in the back with the mop, leaving a big wet spot on his shirt. And then Sasuke threw a wet rag at Naruto's face in retaliation. That, of course, ended up sparking another war until the kitchen was covered in soapy water too and the pair, once again, found themselves doubled over in laughter. When Sasuke sobered up a bit, he shifted to move closer to Naruto, but he lost his footing and slipped in a puddle of soapy water. Naruto automatically reached out to steady him, grabbing him quickly around the waist and pulling him back up.

And then it happened. Their lips met.

Both men froze, eyes wide as they stared at each other owlishly. For a long moment, neither moved or even breathed. Eventually, Naruto pulled his lips from Sasuke's, though he was still speechless, and blushed heavily. It took a few moments for Sasuke's wits to come back about him. When they did, though, he offered a genuine smile to Naruto.

"I guess I'll let you clean me off now."


	12. A Shuddering Mistake

**STATUS: ready to go**

* * *

**Title:** A Shuddering Mistake  
**Word Count:** 1672  
**Rating:** M

**Warnings:  
**—Adult themes. Nudity & hetero citrus, though not a full-blown lemon.  
—Adult language. Profanity & swearing.

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki, Adeleine (OC - not mine)  
**Setting:** Any verse**  
**

**Summary:** Naruto makes a big mistake when things get heated between his girlfriend and himself.

* * *

Adele sat on Naruto's couch as she read a book she'd just purchased. Her parents were out of town again, so Naruto invited her over. He hated for her to feel lonely. Plus, she only lived next door. It would be rude if he didn't have time for her. He sat with his back against the couch in between her legs, playing a videogame on the living room tv. After dying for the millionth time, he tossed the controller down and began to pout.

"Ne~, Naruto-kun, don't get so angry," she said sweetly, patting him on the head as she continued to read.

Naruto tilted his head back into her lap and looked up at her. "I'm bored," he complained.

Adele glanced down and smiled brightly, poking him in the nose. "If you let me finish this chapter, we'll do something fun," she said, returning her gaze back to the novel.

Naruto frowned. A page was one thing… but a _chapter_. He sighed. That was just too long. He looked up at her serene face as her eyes scanned the words on the page. "Hey, Adele," he said, smirking deviously. "I wanna have fun now~"

Adele giggled. "I'm almost done, Naruto," she assured, petting his hair.

Naruto sat up and turned around, quickly worming his way under the book and into her arms. "I wanna play now~" he whined playfully.

Adele snickered and placed the book down. "Fine," she conceded. "Then what do you wanna do, Tiger?" she asked, her eyes shining bright and innocently.

Naruto smirked. "Mmm… Kiss," he said decidedly.

Adele blushed. "N-Naruto," she began, "wh-what are you s-saying?" She averted her gaze, but Naruto grabbed her chin and turned her face back to his. Without another word, he kissed her gently. It was just a peck, really, but it had Adele blushing furiously. "N-Naruto," she murmured when they parted.

"Hm…" Naruto hummed softly.

He let her go in favor of grabbing her hips. She gasped at the suddenly very intimate touch but was distracted when he kissed her again. This time, with a bit more passion. He slowly dragged his hands over her jean shorts and down the skin of her thighs. He pulled away momentarily, pausing as his hands hit the back of her knees.

"Adele… I know what I wanna do…"

Adele swallowed thickly. "Wh-What's that?"

Naruto smirked and licked his lips. "You," he whispered.

"Wh-What?!" Adele squeaked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Naruto asked, slowly lifting her legs and wrapping them around his waist. "You don't like me?"

Adele bit her lip. "O-Of course I do… I just…" She trailed off bashfully.

"Don't want me? Are you not attracted to me?" he asked, slipping a hand under her shirt to ghost up her back. She gasped and whimpered softly. "Doesn't sound like it to me," he commented. He, then, wrapped his arm across the small of her back and pulled her right up flush against his chest. In shock, she braced her hands on his shoulders. He nuzzled at her chin, pushing against it so that she'd turn her head to the side. Hesitantly, she obliged and he trailed his lips down the skin of her neck lightly.

"Mm… Don't you want me too?" he breathed against her collarbone.

She whimpered and squeezed his shoulders tightly as she began to pant with anticipation. "W-Well… I-I—" She gasped, though, when he suddenly clamped his lips on her neck, sucking and nipping at the skin gently. One of his hands softly stroked her thigh while the other caressed her back. She couldn't help but to arch up into his body.

Carefully, Naruto began to lift up her shirt. His hands traveled up her sides with a feather light touch, going slowly to see if he'd be stopped. Adele blushed even more intensely but didn't protest, so he lifted the shirt all the way up and over her head. He tossed it aside and quickly returned his hands to her skin. He nuzzled into her neck again. Leaving love marks everywhere his mouth touched. She moaned lightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. The hand on her back moved up and stealthily unhooked her bra. Naruto, then, held her tightly against himself and swung her around so that she was now laying on the couch with him on top of her, still between her legs. In this new position, she was forced to look him in the face, only causing her to blush even more deeply.

"Seems like you want this just as much as I do," Naruto commented, a sexy smirk on his lips. He slowly began dragging the straps of her bra down her arms as she worried her lip tirelessly. In one swift movement, he had it off entirely. She covered herself with her arms, closing her eyes tight in embarrassment.

"Don't hide yourself," Naruto said softly, gently grabbing her wrists and pulling them away from her chest. He licked his lips at the sight of her exposed body. "You're too beautiful for that."

"N-Naruto," Adele murmured meekly, peeking up at his face shyly.

"So quiet, Adele," Naruto commented. He leaned forward and pinned both of her wrists above her head with one hand, his lips coming to a stop just before hers. "What do you say we fix that?" he suggested, his breath fanning out against her lips. She whimpered, but he didn't indulge her just yet. Instead, he used his free hand to lightly caress her stomach. Her muscles twitched and she jumped a bit, causing Naruto to smile. Slowly, he moved up until his hand cupped her breast. She bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly.

"Ne, Adele," he complained as he gently tweaked her nipple, "why don't you look at me?" She released a whimper and panted, arching up toward him and squeezing her legs more tightly around his waist.

"Hm… still so quiet," he pointed out. "I don't like that at all." He began palming her breast more vigorously. "If you like it, then why don't you speak up?" he asked, but she only turned her face away and bit her lip more harshly.

Naruto decidedly leaned down and placed his mouth against her other breast, causing her to cry out in shock. He flicked his tongue against the sensitive nub. "Just like that," he husked. "I like those noises better."

He took the nipple in his mouth and gently sucked it while he continued to palm her other breast, earning him more desperate pants from Adele's lips. After a few short moments, he lightly pinched her nipple between his teeth, affording him a cry much louder than any of the rest. Naruto moaned, enjoying the noises she made for him. Slowly, he began to roll his hips, grinding himself against her. Adele began to writhe and try to pull her wrists from his grasp. Naruto released her breast, panting slightly against the damp skin and cooling it a bit.

"Hm? I see," he said softly. "So that's where you want me to touch you," he pointed out.

Adele's face scrunched up in embarrassment. "N-No… I-I…"

Naruto chuckled lightly. "Don't be embarrassed. It feels good for me too," he admitted, rolling his hips with a bit more fervor. His hard member was easy for Adele to feel, even through both his jeans and her shorts, and it was highly arousing. Her sensitivity was raised to a whole other level. Naruto sighed as he felt a bit of relief from the action. "Do you like that?" he asked, rubbing against her more vigorously.

Adele began to pant loudly. "N-Nar-ruto," she choked out, punctuating his name with a soft cry of pleasure.

Naruto quickly undid the button of her shorts and heedlessly stuck his hand inside, leaving her no time for protest. He just needed more of those sweet sounds from her lips. He needed more of her body. Adele snapped her eyes open in shock. She parted her lips to protest in some way—not that she was sure she even _wanted_ to stop him—but her mind was wrecked with pleasure as Naruto rubbed her shamelessly.

"Naruto," she moaned, her chest now heaving and causing her breasts to bounce slightly. Naruto took in the sight eagerly, rubbing her with more conviction. As her pants became heavier and heavier, he slipped a finger in and stroked her inside. She released a high-pitched moan, arching her back high off the couch and tossing her head back.

Naruto began to pick up the pace, rubbing himself slightly against his own hand as it moved inside her. "Adele," he murmured, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "you're so sexy."

Adele cried out more desperately. "N-Naruto!"

Naruto moved down to lick and suck on her breast again, periodically nipping at her nipple. When she began to buck her hips gently, he knew that he was reaching his own limit because of her actions. This wasn't enough for him; but now that she was prepared, he could have what he so desperately needed.

He released her breast and moved his lips to rest against the shell of her ear again. "Do you want more?" She moaned and bucked against him. "I want to hear your answer," Naruto said. "Tell me, do you want me?"

"Y-Yes," Adele panted meekly.

"I can't hear you," Naruto teased, stroking her firmly and earning himself a loud cry of pleasure.

"Yes!" she cried out. "Yes, Naruto! I w-want you!"

Naruto quickly pulled away from her, releasing her wrists and removing his finger from inside her. He reached in his back pocket for his wallet and started ruffling through it. When he couldn't find what he was looking for, he frowned and scrunched his face up in thought.

"N-Naruto?" Adele asked a bit worriedly. "What is it?"

He frowned and regarded her sheepishly. "Uh… Seems like… I… uh…" He blushed and chuckled nervously. "I don't have any condoms…"

* * *

**A/N:** If you're interested, the creator of Adeleine has a roleplay blog here »**adeleinefrost+tumblr+com**


	13. Don't Hold My Hand

**Title:** Don't Hold My Hand  
**Word Count:** 1115  
**Rating:** T+

**Warnings:  
**—Adult language. Swearing.  
—Implied yaoi.

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day

**Summary:** Naruto gets angry at Sasuke and starts a fight about how their relationship must be kept a secret.

* * *

Naruto huffed angrily and pinched the bridge of his nose, turning away from Sasuke in hopes that not being able to see the man's face would diffuse his anger. He was wrong. He was still just as pissed as he was ten seconds ago. No… that wasn't right. He wasn't mad. He was hurt.

"Don't turn away from me!" Sasuke snapped.

"I can't look at your face right now, Sasuke!" Naruto snapped back.

"Why not?" Sasuke demanded.

"Because it makes me wanna punch you," Naruto replied bluntly.

Sasuke snorted derisively. "Then punch me, dobe," he dared.

"Don't call me a dobe!" Naruto demanded hotly.

Naruto used to _love_ when Sasuke would speak in Japanese. But when Sasuke started using terms like "dobe" and "baka" and "usuratonkachi" to express his annoyance at the blond, Naruto's affection for the language quickly turned into a love/hate relationship.

"Why? You're acting like one," Sasuke said insultingly.

Naruto snapped his head back to Sasuke. "Yeah? Well you're acting like a fucking asshole, you bastard! What's the word for that in Japanese, huh? Why don't you tell me and we'll see how much you like it!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're gonna resort to childish name calling then?"

"You're the one calling me a dobe!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You're the one pushing stupid ideas that you _know_ we can't do!" Sasuke hollered back.

"It's not stupid!" Naruto yelled.

"It is and you know it!" Sasuke insisted. "And stop yelling!"

"Then stop writing off everything I say as stupid!" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke growled. "Naruto, you come up with ideas that you know are impossible and then get mad at me when I shoot them down," he began. "If that's not stupid, then what is?"

Naruto threw his hands up in exasperation and turned around to give Sasuke his back, his hands trembling in anger. "Fuck you, Sasuke!" he shouted. "Fuck you!"

And despite all the ferocity in Naruto's voice, Sasuke finally heard the true emotion behind it all. He wiped his hand down his face in frustration before approaching Naruto and gently touching his back. "Naruto—"

But Naruto snatched away from Sasuke's touch roughly. "I said fuck off! I wouldn't wanna plague you with any more of my stupidity. You might catch it," he hissed.

Sasuke sighed. "Naruto, I'm sorry. You know we just can't do it though."

"I know!" Naruto snapped, angry at the situation rather than Sasuke now. "I just…" He paused, the anger turning back into what it really was: hurt. "I just wish you wouldn't call it stupid."

Sasuke stepped forward and touched Naruto's back again, rubbing it gently. "I'm sorry about that. I was just mad."

"Because it's not stupid," Naruto insisted, turning his watery, blue eyes to face Sasuke again. "It's not stupid at all."

"I know," Sasuke conceded. "I just don't know why you push it so much though."

Naruto huffed. "Because, Sasuke! I wanna go out on _real_ dates with my boyfriend, dates where I don't have to watch what I say or maintain a certain distance or keep my hands to myself! Because I wanna treat my boyfriend like my boyfriend! Is that so weird?"

Sasuke's face contorted into one of an apology. He hadn't thought of that really. When Naruto wouldn't stop trying to hold Sasuke's hand this evening on their date, Sasuke had just gotten angry because he thought that Naruto was just being purposely ignorant. He really hadn't even stopped to consider the blond's point of view. He'd just lain into Naruto the second they walked through the door to his place.

He started rubbing Naruto's back soothingly again. "Naruto, I'm sorry… but…"

"I know," Naruto groaned. "I know, Sasuke. That's the price I have to pay for being in a secret relationship." He looked back up at Sasuke, his eyes sparkling with fresh tears ready to fall. "But I didn't ask to fall in love with you, and it's not fair that I have to pretend I'm not every day."

"It's not easy for me either," Sasuke assured quickly. "You think I don't wanna do those things too? Of course I do!" Sasuke lifted his hand to run through Naruto's blond locks. "Sometimes I look over at you and see all that light you just naturally radiate, and I just wanna hug you." He smiled softly and stepped closer to Naruto, continuing to card his hand through the other's hair.

"And sometimes when you're talking, I can't stop looking at your lips and I just wanna kiss them. Or we'll just be walking and I wanna hold your hand. Or I just wanna scoot close and whisper little nothings in your ear to make you blush. I wanna take you out on the dates you deserve, to dinners and expensive theaters." He paused and sighed, a sad regret present in the dark orbs. "But I can't, and that hurts me too."

Naruto just dropped his head on Sasuke's shoulder. The raven wasted no time cradling it. Naruto, then, wrapped his arms around Sasuke and pulled him close.

"I'm sorry… I just…" Naruto paused, his voice choked with emotion.

Sasuke shushed him though. "Don't apologize to me, Naruto," he said, his tone hushed. "I should apologize to you."

"No. You didn't ask for this life either," Naruto argued.

Sasuke continued petting Naruto's hair. "No," he agreed, "I didn't. But I did choose to handle you wrongly, didn't I? I think we both could have done some things to make this easier on each other." He nuzzled his cheek against Naruto's head. "Like you can get less mad at me for things I can't help. And you can try to stop making me feel bad, because I already feel like a villain."

Sasuke paused and Naruto nodded his head slightly, holding Sasuke closer. Sasuke nodded back once before going on.

"And I'll let you hold my hand when we're in dark places," he offered. "And we can go out to eat sometimes too, as long as it's a mostly casual place. But we'll only pick places with long table cloths so we can play footsie under the table." Naruto snorted lightly, an inevitable smile creeping onto his lips. "And we'll go to loud, noisy, popular places so we can hook up in the bathroom stall where no one will find us," Sasuke added. "Is that okay?" he asked softly, the playfulness in his tone becoming serious again.

Naruto hugged Sasuke even tighter and nodded his head. "As long as I'm with you," he murmured.

Sasuke smiled and moved his hands from cradling Naruto's head to hugging him back tightly instead. "Always, Naruto," he whispered. "Always."


	14. Daisuki Desu

**Title:** Daisuki Desu  
**Word Count:** 1496  
**Rating:** K+

**Warnings:  
**—An implied romantic relationship between two men. That's all.**  
**

**Characters:** Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha  
**Settings:** Alternate Universe, Modern-Day

**Summary:** Sasuke takes a fatal blow for Naruto, his secret lover, when the blond runs off after a photographer in an attempt to save Sasuke's reputation from being ruined.

* * *

Naruto reached out as he fell and wrapped his arms tightly around Sasuke's chest, his face smushed against Sasuke's back as he tried desperately to get his footing. Sasuke huffed out a shocked breath and began chuckling as he struggled to balance enough for the both of them. It was a good thing that at least one of them had some experience on ice skates. Otherwise, Sasuke would be but a heap on the ground underneath Naruto's clumsy weight. Sasuke managed to turn himself around in Naruto's arms and grab a hold of both of Naruto's elbows to help steady the blond, an amused smile on his face.

"D-Don't make fun of me!" Naruto demanded as he felt Sasuke's chest rumbling. His cheeks turned a bright red from all the effort he was exerting. Well, at least that's what he'd say if asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not making fun of you, Naruto," he assured as the man slowly began to catch his footing. "You're… cute…" he added softly, his eyes admiring the flustered blond in his arms.

Naruto blushed. "D-Don't call a man cute," he said.

"Oh? What should I call you then?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto stood up as tall and as proud as he could in this situation. "Call me what I am. Ruggedly handsome," he supplied.

Sasuke began to snicker and Naruto pouted. He was in the midst of making an indignant exclamation when he began to slip and slide again. In the end, he was right back to clutching Sasuke, burying his face in Sasuke's chest as he, once again, wrapped his arms tightly around the man.

"Let's just get off this ice, okay?" he suggested. "I think I've suffered enough torture for one day. I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow."

Sasuke laughed lightly, patting Naruto's head. "Alright fine, but you have to stand to get off."

Naruto shook his head stubbornly. "Absolutely not. Drag me," he insisted.

Sasuke shook his head but, in the end, slowly made his way to the edge of the ice rink he'd reserved for them and them alone with the blond still glued to his chest. They got off of the ice and went about putting back on their shoes as they joked around with each other. During one particularly intimate moment when Naruto just happened to be leaning a bit too closely to Sasuke and his hand just happened to find itself resting on Sasuke's knee, a sudden flash stole both of their attentions away. Sasuke glanced over and flushed white as he saw a man peeking out from behind a wall with a camera. Naruto followed his companion's line of sight and his eyes widened.

Shit.

Seeing that he'd been spotted, the man quickly started to retreat. Naruto immediately sprang into action though, and Sasuke jumped up after him.

"Naruto!" Sasuke exclaimed, running after the blond. "Don't! Just let him go!"

"No way!" Naruto called back.

This was Sasuke's reputation on the line. That picture would probably be made to look far more suggestive than it was, and they were already in an extremely intimate situation to begin with. To protect Sasuke, Naruto was gonna get that camera no matter what.

Naruto followed the man out the doors and onto the public street, a worried Sasuke close behind. He was just entering the crosswalk when Sasuke screamed his name. That tone alone caused Naruto to freeze where he stood. It was an ear-splitting scream and he wheeled around automatically, ready to murder whoever was causing Sasuke to sound like that. The second that he'd turned, though, he found Sasuke barreling into him and shoving him forcefully backward.

Naruto fell and rolled back over his head, doing a backward somersault and landing back on his ass. He didn't have a moment to get heads or tails of himself before he heard screeching tires and a loud thump along with the screams of onlookers. He shook his head to clear his vision and made out a car just barely a foot away from him.

Then, it dawned on him. He glanced over to see a crowd forming and began to frantically crawl into the middle of it. And there he saw the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen, Sasuke crumpled on the ground, looking… dead…

"SASUKE!" he screamed, rushing to Sasuke's side and gently touching his face.

Sasuke eyes cracked open and he inhaled sharply, crying out in pain as soon as he did and instinctively reaching up and gripping the collar of Naruto's shirt. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist, his eyesight immediately blurring from tears.

"S-Sasuke!" he reprimanded. "Why would you do that?!" Sasuke just scrunched his eyes shut in agony. "Wh-What am I sup-posed t-to do?" Naruto stammered, the emotion causing his entire body to tremble furiously.

"H-H-Hold… m-me…" Sasuke choked out. "I-It'll… h-hurt… l-l-less…"

Naruto complied, but instantly regretted that decision. As soon as he shifted Sasuke even slightly, the raven gasped and cried out in pain.

"I-I can't!" Naruto exclaimed. "You gotta stay still!"

"H-Hold me!" Sasuke demanded, his eyes desperate.

And so Naruto heaved the man into his lap in one fluid motion and closed his eyes to try and shut out the subsequent cries of Sasuke's pain. After a few labored breaths, Sasuke calmed himself down. Thankfully, someone watching nearby had already gotten 911 on the phone. Sasuke eventually opened his eyes and gazed up at Naruto's face. Eyes still clenched shut, Naruto's tears streaked down and landed on Sasuke's chest. Sasuke couldn't find the breath to talk, but he could manage to lift his hand and touch Naruto. Naruto leaned into the fingers against his cheek and relaxed slightly.

"Wh-Why?" he asked quietly. "Sasuke, why would you do something so stupid?"

Sasuke simply began to stroke Naruto's cheek. He snaked his other hand around the back of Naruto's neck and began to gently pull the other's head down. He could feel it now, that peaceful sensation that people claimed would come at the end. It was slowly alleviating his pain, but he thought that it was really just Naruto. It was really just this beautiful man before him that eased his pain, and he needed to be closer. If he could manage it, he needed to explain, even if it took his last breath.

Naruto complied and leaned down, adjusting only slightly so as to avoid causing Sasuke any pain. When Sasuke's lips finally met Naruto's ear, the raven simply stayed quiet for a moment. And those few short breaths that he took against Naruto's skin would turn out to be something that Naruto would hold on to for the rest of his life. Those short wisps of air brushing his skin, causing goosebumps to prickle all across his body, were like a lullaby to Naruto. Though his breathing became rougher, his chest heaved heavier, and his arms drew tighter to pull Sasuke as close as possible… Naruto felt somehow eased.

Perhaps that was Sasuke's way of comforting Naruto at the end. And perhaps no words were really necessary because, perhaps, Naruto had really always known and felt the very same things that Sasuke would have said. Finally, Sasuke did speak though. His fingers tightened against Naruto's neck and his breath came out as less than a whisper.

"D-Daisuki… d-d-d…"

His fingers slackened. His lips trembled. He kissed the shell of Naruto's ear tenderly.

"d-d… d…"

Naruto waited. He waited for the word to reveal itself. Even after Sasuke's arms went slack, even after his breath stopped brushing Naruto's skin, even after his heart stammered against Naruto's chest until it just… stopped… Naruto still waited. He refused to acknowledge the situation for quite a few long moments, not until someone touched his shoulder gently and brought him back to reality.

"Sir…" the person said softly, their voice thick with emotion.

The Japanese, apparently, never really said things like I love you, but that last phrase that caught on Sasuke's lips meant something very similar. And, though sparingly, it was something that Sasuke had used with Naruto before. He only ever said it when they were in quiet, intimate situations or when he was just staring at the blond for long periods of time. He hadn't even told Naruto what it meant until just a couple of days ago when he'd, apparently, deemed their relationship, as secret as it was, serious enough for such a sentiment.

Naruto had to wonder if… if maybe, subconsciously, Sasuke knew it was time. Maybe he'd felt this coming somehow and maybe that lead him to finally reveal the secret behind those words… so that Naruto would understand this very moment right now. Perhaps Sasuke was gone. Perhaps he would not hear these words with his ears. But, nonetheless, Naruto said them. And he said them because he meant them. He felt them so deeply within himself that it was actually painful.

"—desu…" he whispered to Sasuke, finishing the sentiment on his own. "Daisuki d-desu…"


End file.
